Free Coming Around Again by Billy London Page A

doing things alone.
    The majority of her life she had played the role of the responsible one,
the sensible one, the reliable one. There wasn’t time for anything and she
couldn’t bring herself to even suggest to Niels that he pitch in. Whatever he
said, he was a traditionalist. He didn’t like that she remained working. He
despised that she never took his surname, even though everyone insisted on
calling her Mrs. Strøm. Niels wanted a housewife. Stella was Wonder Woman.
    “What?” she asked, pulling the duvet up to her chin.
    He breathed a laugh through his nose and stood up. “Not to worry,
Stella. Nothing will penetrate your force field tonight.”
    “That includes you,” she warned him.
    Niels burst out laughing. “The comatose female has never given me wood.
Go back to sleep.”
    Waving her middle finger in his general direction, Stella turned onto
her side and closed her eyes. She heard the drawing of blinds and the snap of
the side lights turning off. In minutes she was fast asleep, the pain in her
head at a muted throb.
     
    ***
    Five years married
     
    She always believed people exaggerated about the
terrible twos. All it would take was a firm voice and clear direction for her
beloved twins to behave. She’d been misled.
    Niels watched with her in horror as Danny meted out
the worst tantrum she had ever seen off television about a denied packet of
sweets at the tills.
    “Haaaaaaaaate you!” he screamed, throwing packets
everywhere. Even Will looked surprised by the outburst.
    Something snapped Niels into action. Whether it was
the cashier asking them how they wanted to pay; or the woman behind them
tutting about misbehaving children, Stella had no idea. But in a flash, Niels
lifted Danny from the trolley and marched out of the supermarket.
    Stella hurried up and paid, packing their weekly
shop into the trolley. Man, all they’d wanted was some ice cream. That’s all.
And maybe some baby biscuits for the kids. Instead, they remembered everything
had run out and the shop took longer than necessary. Stella couldn’t manage on
her own and Niels knew divide and conquer worked well with the boys. Will
looked up at his mother.
    “Danny naughty,” he said solemnly.
    “Sometimes he is, yes,” Stella agreed. She rounded
the corner to the parking area. Niels leaned against a concrete pillar,
watching Danny wriggling on a wooden bench, eyes red raw from crying.
    “Time’s up,” Niels announced, and went down on a
knee in front of his son. “Listen to me. If Muma or I say no, it means no. You
do not misbehave. You do not scream or shout. And you do not touch things that
don’t belong to you. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, Dada.”
    “What do you say?”
    “Sorry, Dada.” He caught sight of Stella and burst
into tears again. “I sorry, Muma!”
    Niels gathered him up in his arms and cradled him
against his chest. “You’re forgiven.” He kissed him on the top of his head, and
Danny snuggled into his embrace.
    Stella gazed at him in complete love. “I have never
been more turned on than I am right now.”
    Niels raised an eyebrow. “You know they’re going to
repeat that to someone completely random and you’ll have to explain yourself to
social services, don’t you?”
    “You needed to know,” she said, pushing the trolley
toward their car. Niels put the shopping in the boot and Stella secured the
twins in their seat. How she used to pity parents! Barely pity them; the rest
of her emotions were reserved for impatience for adults who failed to control
their sprogs. She wondered who would ever pity her.
    Watching Niels close the boot and get into the
driver’s seat, she comforted herself knowing that she wouldn’t be pitied.
Envied, for sure. Her children could be nightmares but most of the time they
were picture-perfect treasures she loved beyond measure. And her husband? Yeah.
Envied. Absolutely envied.
    By the time the kids were bathed and put to bed,
Stella felt exhausted. Niels handed her